Tama County Public Health & Home Care proudly announces their thanks to Jane (McManemy) Keahna for her years of service as our Maternal/Child Health Nurse. We hope she enjoys her retirement. As of December 17th, Penny Tyynismaa, RN, will be fulfilling this role and there will be no change in or deletion of services. This program is important to moms to assure that they understand the importance of consistent prenatal/postpartum care. “The visits I will provide are an extra layer of support to regular prenatal visits. A comprehensive physical assessment is performed upon admission, and screenings are held each trimester. After birth, a postpartum visit can be done in the patient’s home,” states Penny. Her goals for the Maternal Child Health Program is to reach as many mothers and their families in our county, to help improve their health and well-being, and to assist them in obtaining and utilizing all available resources within Tama County. With families accessing these services they receive an additional layer of support and education beyond what is available in the hospital or clinic setting. The Maternal/Child Health Program ties in well with the Nest Program, which is located in the lower level of the Tama County Public Health & Home Care office. Expecting mothers and moms of babies up to the age of 2 can earn points for healthy choices they make for themselves and their babies, which can be converted to purchase infant/baby items. A parent does not have to be enrolled in the Maternal/Child Health program, nor do they have to receive a home visit to be able to participate in the Nest Program. The Nest is open the second Monday of each month from 4:30 p.m. -6:00 p.m. An educational class is held in conjunction with the Nest and parents are able to earn points for attending. The next class is January 14th at 4:30 p.m. and will cover the topics of depression in pregnancy and the post-partum period. Visits can be scheduled one time during each trimester of pregnancy as well as after the baby arrives. Extra visits can be scheduled if there is a need. Penny has worked as a nurse for 27 years, working for Tama County Public Health and Home Care since 2014. Prior to that, she was employed for 15 years at Grinnell Hospital, working in ER, as a nursing supervisor in all areas of the hospital including Labor/Delivery, ICU, and Medical-Surgical Units, and as Nurse Manager for the Medical-Surgical Department. She grew up in Tama and is a graduate of STC. After graduation from nursing school, she married Robert and in their first 7 years together, they lived in North Carolina, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Illinois where she gained valuable experience in Coronary Care, Cardiovascular Intensive Care and Cardiac Cath Lab. In 1999 they moved back to Tama to be near family and raise their children in a small community. Her husband, Robert, works for STC schools as a high school math teacher. They have 4 children, Rob (22), Belle (20), JoJo (15) and Tommy (13), two dogs Leonard (Leo) and Eleanor (Ellie) and a gerbil, Imogene. If you are interested in joining the Maternal Health program, or participating in Nest, please call our office at 641-484-4788.